This experience studying abroad was much different than my previous study abroad experience. Last time, I went alone on the trip with a study abroad partner with UTC and this time I went on a trip that was faculty led. There was a lot less free time and exploring but that might have been because last time I was there for 3 months. The trip was amazing and so incredibly beautiful. I went on the International Business Experience trip to the Balkans that included Albania, Greece, Macedonia, and Kosovo. We went on University visits and business visits. I enjoyed the business visits. My favorite business visit we went on was the olive oil factory. I enjoyed it because I loved to see how passionate the owner was about his business. In the U.S. I feel like people have lost the passion for family owned business and everything is owned by a cooperation. The family that owned the olive oil factory was so proud and happy with the success of their business. The owner was trying to show off his awards and pictures the whole time which was sweet.
Dr. Asllani and his wife were amazing guides for Albania because they are from there. We may have had a biased tour of Albania but to my surprise Albania ended up being my favorite parts of the trip. I was not expecting to love Albania as much as I did but the Albanian Alps/Albania’s national park made me fall in love with the country. We stayed in a cabin and I was in a room with 6 other girls! It was defiantly an experience to remember but the cabin ended up being one of my favorite memories. We also had a guide that traveled with us in Europe and he was a great tour guide. He knew everything he could, hung out with us, and could answer any question you came up with. I love travelling and will for the rest of my life. Studying abroad is an amazing experience that I recommend people to do all the time. This was a fun short trip that taught me how to do business in the Balkans.
Brooke Harper is majoring in Management and spent part of May 2019 participating in a faculty-led trip to the Balkans through the Rollins College of Business. Brooke had the following to say about studying abroad, “This was my second time going abroad to study. The experience just keeps getting better and I will have these memories and experiences for the rest of my life. I would recommend studying abroad for anyone, it’s an amazing experience!”
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